Swivel caster for suitcases, items of luggage, transport containers or the like

ABSTRACT

A swivel caster ( 1 ) for suitcases, items of luggage, transport containers or the like has at least one wheel ( 8 ) which is rotatably received about an axis of rotation ( 14 ), and a steering axle ( 6 ) which is arranged approximately at a right angle to the axis of rotation ( 14 ) of the at least one wheel ( 8 ) and about which the at least one wheel ( 8 ) can be steered. The aim of the invention is to reduce the transmission of vibrations, running noises and jolts and bumps onto the suitcase, the item of luggage, the transport container or the like. The swivel caster ( 1 ) comprises an elastic damping element ( 7 ) which is mounted between the wheel ( 8 ) of the swivel caster ( 1 ) and a fastening element ( 3 ) of the swivel caster ( 1 ) on the suitcase side.

The invention relates to a caster for suitcases, pieces of luggage, transport containers or the like, with at least one runner that is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation and a steering axle that is arranged approximately perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the at least one runner, and around which the at least one runner can be steered.

Suitcases are provided relatively often with such casters in order to allow simple and comfortable movability of the suitcase, particularly when it is completely filled.

From EP 0 874 564, a suitcase having such casters is known, in which the steering axle around which a wheel support with a runner turns, is firmly anchored in a steering axle support that itself is firmly attached by means of appropriate attachment elements to the suitcase shell.

Both the steering axle support and also the steering axle firmly anchored therein are made from a hard and rigid material, so that the runners, particularly when loaded transversely with respect to the steering axle of the swiveling roller, do not slide against the suitcase-side housing portion that holds or receives the swiveling roller. In the case of such casters, due to the rigid connection between the steering axle, on the one hand, and the steering axle support, on the other hand, and due to the hard and stiff materials from which the mentioned components are made, vibrations and running noises of the runners are easily transmitted to the suitcases and amplified there.

Based on the above described prior art, the invention is based on the problem of providing a caster for suitcases, pieces of luggage, transport containers or the like, in which the transmission of vibrations, running noises as well as shocks and impacts on the suitcase, the piece of luggage, the transport container or the like is minimized.

This problem is solved according to the invention in that the caster presents an elastic damping element that is arranged between the runner of the caster, on the one hand, and a suitcase-side attachment portion of the caster, on the other hand. Any vibrations, running noises or shock and/or impact stresses that occur on the runners are absorbed by this elastic damping element, and are not transmitted to the suitcase or transmitted only in a relatively small proportion.

In an advantageous embodiment of the caster according to the invention, the axis of rotation of the runner and the steering axle of the swiveling roller are arranged with offset with a predetermined separation.

The elastic damping element can be designed advantageously and at low technical construction cost as a rubber elastic damping element.

According to an embodiment, the elastic damping element can be arranged on the suitcase-side end section of the steering axle between the steering axle and the suitcase-side attachment portion of the caster, which is designed as a steering axle support.

Moreover, it is possible that the elastic damping element or a different, additional elastic damping element is arranged on the runner-side end section of the steering axle between the steering axle and a wheel support that mounts the runner rotatably about its axis of rotation. The damping effect can be damped between the wheel support and the steering axle in this manner, wherein, in the embodiment with two elastic damping elements, the damping can be absorbed onto these two elastic damping elements, of which one is arranged on the wheel support side and the other on the steering axle support side.

Advantageously, the elastic damping element encloses the suitcase-side or the runner-side end section of the steering axle at least partially, preferably completely or nearly completely. As a result, the possibility is prevented with great reliability that application contacts between the steering axle and the steering axle support or the wheel support can occur.

The steering axle can be anchored non-rotatably on the steering axle support or non-rotatably on the wheel support.

To prevent damage of the runner or of the steering axle support or of the suitcase shell, it is advantageous if a delimitation element that protrudes toward the runner or the wheel support is formed on the steering axle support, by means of which element a movement of the runner or of the wheel support in the direction toward the steering axle support can be delimited in such a manner that a contact between the runner and the steering axle support is ruled out.

In order to reliably rule out any damage in terms of the function of important components of the wheel support it is advantageous if a wheel support-side abutment lug is associated with the steering axle support-side delimitation element, lug against which the delimitation element abuts.

When the caster, between the elastic damping element and the end section of the steering axle, has a bushing-shaped adhesion element that, on the one hand, adheres firmly to the elastic damping element, and on the other hand, is firmly anchored on the end section of the steering axle, a better adhesion of the elastic damping element on the end section of the steering axle is achieved, since the adhesion element, on the one hand, can be formed optimally for adhesion to the damping element, and, on the other hand, optimally for a reliable and firm anchoring on the end section of the steering axle.

For this purpose, the bushing-shaped adhesion element is advantageously formed from a plastic that is relatively hard in comparison to the material or to the plastic of the damping element.

The reliable anchoring between the steering axle, on the one hand, and the bushing-shaped adhesion element, on the other hand, can be qualitatively increased by forming, in the respective end section of the steering axle, undercuts or annular recesses into which the associated form elements or annular protrusions of the adhesion element protrude or project.

The invention is explained in greater detail below using embodiments in reference to the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional representation of an embodiment of a caster according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional representation of an additional embodiment of the caster according to the invention.

A caster 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used to move or maneuver in a controlled manner suitcases, similar pieces of luggage, transport containers or the like, working together with at least one additional caster and optionally non-steerable swiveling rollers. For this purpose, two such casters 1 are usually provided on two mutually associated corners of a suitcase of which only a portion of the suitcase shell 2 is shown in the figures.

As one can see in FIG. 1, the suitcase shell 2 has a recess at an end, in which the caster 1 is accommodated. In the represented embodiment example of the caster 1, the latter is associated with a steering axle support 3 by means of which the caster 1 is attached to the corner of the suitcase shell 2.

The steering axle support 3 forms a recess 4 in which a suitcase-side end section 5 of a steering axle 6 of the caster 1 is non-rotatably anchored.

Between the steering axle support-side recess 4, on the one hand, and the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6, on the other hand, a rubber elastic damping element 7 is arranged, which nearly completely encloses the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6, so that no direct contact between the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6 and the recess 4 of the steering axle support 3 can occur.

The steering axle 6 projects out of the recess 4 of the steering axle support 3 in the direction toward a runner 8 of the caster 1. On its runner-side end section 9, the steering axle 6 is axially secured and mounted rotatably in a recess 10 of a wheel support 11. The attachment of the runner-side end section 9 of the steering axle 6 in the recess 10 of the wheel support 11 is implemented in the represented embodiment example by means of a retaining dowel 12, which projects from below into the recess 10 of the wheel support 11, and is attached there in a recess 13 in the runner-side front face of the steering axle 6. The steering axle 6 or its runner-side end section 9 and the retaining dowel 12 can be rotated relative to the wheel support 11, or the wheel support 11 can be rotated around the steering axle.

In or on the wheel support 11, an axis of rotation 14 is provided, around which the runner 8 can rotate. The axis of rotation 14 is offset by a separation A from the steering axle 6 of the caster 1, which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation 14.

The steering axle support 3, on its bottom face that faces the wheel support 11 or the runner 8, has a delimitation element 15, which is associated with an abutment lug 16 on the surface of the wheel support 11, which faces the steering axle support 3, so that even in the case of a heavily loaded suitcases and relatively large shock and impact stresses from outside on the runner 8, the runner 8 does not come to be applied against the suitcase shell 2 or the steering axle support 3.

Any vibrations, running noises, shock or impact stresses occurring due to the operation of the caster 1 are not transmitted, due to the rubber elastic damping element 7 provided between the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6, on the one hand, and the recess 4 of the steering axle support 3, on the other hand, or are transmitted only to a relatively small extent to the suitcase shell 2.

In an alternative embodiment of the caster according to the invention, the rubber elastic damping element can also be provided between the runner-side end section 9 of the steering axle 6 and the recess 10 of the wheel support 11. In this case, the steering axle 6 is then attached non-rotatably to the wheel support 11.

In an additional embodiment shown in FIG. 2 of the caster 1 according to the invention, a bushing-shaped adhesion element 17 is provided between the suitcase-side end section 5 of the caster 6 and the rubber-elastic damping element 7. This bushing-shaped adhesion element 17 is made of a plastic that is relatively hard in comparison to the material or to the plastic of the rubber elastic damping element 7. By means of the bushing-shaped adhesion element 17, an improved adhesion or anchoring between the rubber elastic damping element 7, on the one hand, and the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6, on the other hand, can be achieved. The bushing-shaped adhesion element 17 is arranged, on its side associated with the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6, in such a manner that an optimal anchoring of the bushing-shaped adhesion element 17 on the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6 is achieved. For this purpose, on the bushing-shaped adhesion element 17, protrusion elements in the form of annular protrusions 19 are provided, which project into annular recesses 18 formed on the end section 5 of the steering shaft 6 and in this manner form a positive locking connection between the suitcase-side end section 5 of the steering axle 6, on the one hand, and the bushing-shaped adhesion element 17, on the other hand. On its side associated with the rubber-elastic damping element 7, the bushing-shaped adhesion element 17 is formed in such a manner that an ideal adhesion of the bushing-shaped adhesion element 17 on the rubber elastic damping element 7 can be achieved. 

1. A caster for suitcases, pieces of luggage, transport containers and the like, with comprising: at least one runner that is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation, a steering axle that is arranged approximately perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the at least one runner, and around which the at least one runner can be steered, and an elastic damping element that is arranged between the runner of the caster, on the one hand, and the suitcase-side attachment portion of the caster, on the other hand.
 2. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the runner and the steering axle of the caster are arranged with mutual offset by a separation.
 3. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the elastic damping element is designed as a rubber elastic damping element.
 4. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the elastic damping element is arranged on the suitcase-side end section of the steering axle between the latter and the suitcase-side attachment portion of the caster formed as steering axle support.
 5. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the or an additional elastic damping element is arranged, on the swiveling roller-side end section of the steering axle, between the steering axle and s a wheel support that mounts the runner rotatably about its axis of rotation.
 6. The caster according to claim 4, wherein the elastic damping element encloses the suitcase-side or the runner-side end section of the steering axle partially, completely or nearly completely.
 7. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the steering axle is anchored non-rotatably on the steering axle support or non-rotatably on the wheel support.
 8. The caster according to claim 1, wherein, on the steering axle support, a delimitation element that projects toward the runner or the wheel support is formed, by means of which a movement of the runner or of the wheel support in the direction toward the steering axle support can be delimited in such a manner that a contact between the runner and the steering axle support is ruled out.
 9. The caster according to claim 8, wherein a wheel support-side abutment lug is associated with the steering axle support-side delimitation element against which lug the delimitation element abuts.
 10. The caster according to claim 4, wherein, between the elastic damping element and the end section of the steering axle, a bushing-shaped adhesion element is arranged, which, on the one hand, firmly adheres to the elastic damping element, and, on the other hand, is anchored firmly on the end section of the steering axle.
 11. The caster according to claim 10, wherein the bushing-shaped adhesion element is made from a plastic that is hard in comparison to the damping element.
 12. The caster according to claim 10, wherein, on the end section of the steering axle, at least one or two peripheral annular recesses are formed, into which the associated annular protrusions of the adhesion element project. 